French graffiti artist "Lekto" is once again making waves (of controversy) in Avignon, France.   This time, as in previous times, because of his outsized likenesses of (and not liking of) French President Macron.   The controversy arises because Lekto added a Hitler-like moustache - which is actually the number 49.3 - which will only be of significance to Frenchmen.   It is the number of the clause in the French constitution which allows a law to be passed without being voted upon.   (In this case, a highly debated pension reform bill which nearly has brought the country to its knees.)   Free-speechers claim this graffito should remain untouched as legitimate satire - while others see the added moustache as invoking violence and condoning, if not outright promoting, Nazism.

      Graf artist Lekto is no stranger to the wrath of the public and the law.   His earlier graffito (at the same location) was also of Macron as the puppet Pinocchio, and the puppet master Geppetto was done in the likeness of Jacques Attali (the French economic and social theorist).   This earlier graff however, brought the wrath of the Jewish Defence League which claimed the graffito had several glaring examples of post-war anti-semitism - although we are hard-pressed to see how anyone except those in the Jewish Defence League could spot them...   (To us, it looked like a direct artistic copy of the characters in the Disney feature film - but what do we know...)
      But most amusing to us is this "Great Debate" over the Macron graffiti has resurrected and brought into the spotlight Godwin’s Law, which states, "As any discussion grows longer, regardless of topic, the greater the probability of comparisons to Nazis or Adolf Hitler."

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